Electric switch



K.' KNUDSEN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. V APPLlCATION FILED NOV. Il. 19181 v 1,328,798, Patented JaILQO, 1920.

zwaan MME@ er v

Arme/MS UNITED sTATEs PATENT orricn.

KNUD KNUDsnNoF rLAINvILLE, oNNECTICUT, .AssIGNoR To THEv TRUMBULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or :eLAINvILLn CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTlCUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

To all whom t may' concern Be it known that I, KNUD K'NUDSEN, av

subject ofthe King'of Denmark7 having si'g` nilied intention of becoming a' citizenof the United States and taken out first apers and f lainville, l

a plied for'second; residing at onnecticut, have invented anew and useful Electric Switch, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention is a 11o-voltage or low voltage-release for switch mechanism. p

The objects ofthe invention are to provide simple andl effective mechanism of this nature, a special aim being to provide trip.4

automatically,

The invention may be briefly 'described as consisting of a latch membenusually inl theformof a pivoted lever,'for holding the movable switch element in one position and a trip member for the latch, also usually in the form -of a lever and pivoted'atright4 angles to the latch lever, and controllcdbya no-voltage or low voltage solenoid. v

Manual control ofthe latch 4is obtained by providing the core of the no-voltage solenoid with a finger button by 4means of which the same may be actuated irrespec-4 tive ofthe action of the solenoid winding. Otherfeatures of the invention will ap pear as the specification proceeds. `v

The accompanying drawing is an illustra;

tion of the invention as embodied in a practical` and commercial form.d It will be un? derstood however, that such illustration is primarily made for the purpose of disclosure and that the invention is not limited to the form shown, but may be modified as reuired or found desirable without departure rom the spirit and scope. of the invention.

In said drawing Figure 1, is a side view of the invention as applied to a form of so-called safety or inclosed switch, only a fragment of the switch casing appearing in this view.

Fig.- 2, is a plan view .of these parts with part of the casing of the latch mechanlsm 'Specification of Letters Patent.

" Patented Jan. 2o, 1920.

Appneation-medvmvember 11.1913. seriaiNo. 262,039.

broken away as on the plane ofthe line Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 3 3A I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, is another sectional View taken on the plane at right angles to Fig. 3 and sub- 60 stantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.V

As the invention primarily resides in the latch mechanism of the lswitch, only so much of the switch is shown as is necessary to bring out the relation of the latch mechanism thereto. The movable element of the switch consists, in this'disclosure, of a series of pivoted switch blades 5 connected through suitable connections 6 with a pivoted switch y handle 7, the whole forming what may be considered the movable element of the f switch. The switch handle is pivotally supported on the side wall of the switch box or casing 8 which provides arelatively stationary support for the same and for the latchmechanism now tov be described.

9 designates the latch member consisting in the ypresent disclosure of a lever pivoted intermediate its ends at l0 and provided at its forward end with a hook 11 for en- 80 gagement over an outstanding lug or pin 12 on the switch handle 7. Near the opposite vfree end this latch lever is acted on by Y -a lspringl which eXertsits tension to bias the latch in a direction torelease the switch handle. f

The latch is secured in holding engagement with .the movable switch element by means of a trip lever; here Ashown in the form of a bell crank having'an upstanding 90 arm 14' disposed in the ath of'yielding or .releasing movement of t erearend of the .latch lever and an angular or laterally outstanding arm 15-l This trip lever is shown pivotally supported at 16 and asy provided 95 on the upstanding arm 11ithereof with a stop shoulder. 17 designed to be engaged by the rearwardly extended end of the latch lever 9. The trip lever is biased toward the latchlever in the illustration,v by

means of aspring 18.

The pivot 16 for the trip lever, it willbe noted, 1s disposed substantially at right angles to the. pivot 1 0 for the latch lever so that said trip lever can swing acrossthe path of the releasing movement of the latch lever. Furthermore, the pivot 16 is dislever and the effort necessary is further rerect connection with duced by making one of the levers-oil a noncorrosive metal such as brass. At the present time T Iprefer to make the trip lever out of brass and the latch lever out of any suitable metal such as steel. This relation of the two metals enables the trip to slip easily from engagement with the latch lever and prevents any sticking of the parts.

The no-voltage or low voltage release magnet is shownin'th'e present disclosure as a `solenoid consisting of a hollow coil 19,-

and a magnetic core 20 working therein and floated or sustained thereby when the coil is properly energized. This core has adithe tripv lever in the construction illustrated through the medium of an outstanding shoulder orflange 21 mounted on the upper end of the solenoid core stem 22 and overlying the laterally outstanding arm 15 of the trip lever. vThe weight of the solenoid core is sufficient for the same, when released by the solenoid, to rock the trip lever .out of engagement with the latch lever and thus permit the latch to free thek movable switch element.

The movable element of the switch is invlenced or biased in a switch opening dithe present disclosure by means rection in closing the switch this of a spring 23. In

spring is placed under tension and isV therefore put in condition to open the switch as soon as the latch is relea. d. The hook 11 of the latch is usually beveled substantially asK indicated on -its outer end so that in the closing movement of the switch the in 12 on the switch handle will riide over tiis bevel, rocking the latch in such a way as to permit the hook to .snap over and into holding engagement with the pin 12. Upon closing the switch the solenoid winding becomes energized, lifting the core up about to the position shownwherein the weight of the core is removed from the trip lever and the trip lever thereupon rocks into the holding'position shown in Fig. 4. The switch then remains latched in its circuit-closed position until the magnet becomes denergized to such `an extent as to drop the core into engagement with the trip lever, whereupon said lever will' release thelatch and permit the switch tobe snapped open.

Tn order that the switch may be tripped hand whenever desired T have shown a push button 24 provided Aonthe upper end of the .core stem 22 i-n position to be easily engaged by the thumb or finger. The solenoid and other parts of the latch mechanism arepreferably in'closed within a protective casing 25. This casing is usually eX- tended to cover the sides of the core stem as indicatedin Figs. 1, 2, and t so as to guaic'l'7.5

against accidental depression of the core but at one side this guard may be cut down or recessed as indicated at 26 so as to provide ready access for the finger of the operator. At the lower end the protective casing may be left open as indicated at 27 so as to pro- -vide access to the lower end of the core and therefore enable the core to be lifted whenever desired. T claim 1. In an electric switch, the combination with the movable element of the switch mechanism, of a latch lever pivoted interby hand mediate its ends and adapted to engage the movable switch element at one end to hold the saine in a predetermined position, a trip lever pivoted on an aXis substantially in line with `the opposite end of the latch lever and adapted to engage said end of the latch lever to hold the same with the opposite end in holding engagement with the movable element of the switch mechanism, and means for actuating said trip lever to free 'the same from holding engagement with the one end of the latchI lever toA therebyf permit the latch lever to swing on its pivot so as to free the opposite end of said lever from holding engagement with th movable switch element. y

2; A .switch construction comprising, a`

boX, switch mechanismmounted therein, an operating handle on the exterior of said boX, a latch member for said handle, a trip lever for said latch member, a solenoid hav-- 3. In an electric switch, the combination vwith `the movable element of the switch mechanism', of. a latch for securing said switch element in one position and yieldable in a direction to release the switch element,

a trip standing in the path of releasing movement of the latch and movable out of said position to release the latch, a magnetA controlling said trip lever, said magnet comprising a solenoid and a core adapted to be supported thereby, said core having a connection with the trip' and provided with a button by means of. which the same may be manually operated.

4. A switch construction comprising, a box, switch mechanism therein, an operating handle exterior to the box, a spring pressed pivoted latch for holding said handle in one position, a spring pressed pivoted trip for engaging said latch and an electro-magnetically operated member for engaging said trip, an auxiliary casing exterior to said box and surrounding said trip, a part of said latch, and said electro-magnetically operated member.

5. In an electric switch,the combination with a movable switch element normally biased to the open circuit position, a pivoted latch lever for securing said switch element in circuit closed position, a pivoted trip lever for securing the latch lever in its holdingposition, a solenoid coil, a core sustained thereby when said coil is energized, and an' arm on the trip lever projecting in the path of falling movement of the. solenoid core, the falling energy of said core being sutticient to operate said trip lever.

G. In an electric switch of the character described, the combination with the movable element of the switch mechanism, 0f latch mechanism for holding thel same,A in a pre determined position, a solenoid comprising a winding and a core normally sustained thereby, connections between said core and latch mechanism whereby the solenoid will control the latch mechanism and an exposed push button carried by the solenoid core for enabling manual operation of the same.

7. In an electric switch of the character described, the combination with the movable element of the switch mechanism, of latch mechanism for holding the same ina predetermined position, a solenoid comprising a winding and a core normally sustained thereby, connections between said core and withfa movable switch element normally biased to the open-circuit position, a pivoted latch lever for securing said switch element in circuit-closed position, a trip lever pivoted substantially at right angles to the pivotal mounting of the latch lever for securing the latch lever in its holding position, a solenoid coil, a core sustained thereby, an angular arm outstanding from the trip lever and disposed in the path of movement-of the solenoid core so as to be actuated thereby upon the fall of said core, said core having a push button on the upper end thereof whereby the same may be manually de pressed to trip the latch and the lower end of the core beingexposed to enable the core being manually lifted when the switch is being closed.

9. In an electric switch, the combination with a movable switch element, of a pivoted latch lever for securing said switch element in one position, a trip lever pivoted on an axis substantially at right angles to the pivotal axis of the latch lever for securing the latter in its holding position, one of said leversV being constructed of non-corrosive metal to enable the trip lever sliding freely from engagement with the latch lever and a release magnet controlling movement of the trip lever.

KNUD KNUDSEN. 

